UCF is back on the road in the Big 12 this week with a trip to Ames, Iowa to face the No. 9 Iowa State Cyclones.
It's been a tough three weeks for the Knights - after the last minute rally to beat TCU on the road, UCF has since lost three straight to Colorado, Florida and Cincinnati.
Iowa State meanwhile is 6-0, their best start since 1938, and currently the highest ranked Big 12 team. They are 3-0 in the Big 12 with wins against Houston, Baylor and West Virginia.
To get ready for the matchup, I caught up with Bill Seals, publisher of Cyclone Report on Rivals. Originally from the Des Moines area, Seals has been covering Iowa State since 1999.
The Cyclones have had some down years in that time, but have been trending upward since Matt Campbell's arrival in 2016.
"In 25 years, there has been a lot of ups and downs, some pretty good peaks and a lot of valleys," Seals said. "Before Matt Campbell got here, I think it was 2-10 and a couple of 3-9s the last three years leading up to when Matt got here. And it was a rough stretch in year one for him.
"But gosh, since then, they've really been contenders. They've had some marquee victories. I think the pinnacle up to this point, probably the win in the Fiesta Bowl over Oregon in 2020."
That was a Brock Purdy-led team that finished 9-3 with a No. 9 ranking.
"This program, they've never won 10 games in a season, believe it or not," Seals said. "One of the first years I was on the job was in the 2000 season. They went 9-3 and went on to win their first bowl game in school history. That was kind of the high watermark there in that in the Dan McCarney era."
Since that Fiesta Bowl win in 2020, Iowa State has finished 7-6 in 2021, 4-8 in 2022 and 7-6 in 2023.
"Everybody was kind of wondering the direction of this program (after 2022)," Seals said. "But I'll tell you what, with a very young team last year, Matt laid the foundation, I think, for what it is today. They win seven games a year ago with a very, very young team.
"And then this year, I think I saw the number was maybe the second most returning snaps of any team in the country. So I think this team really going into 2024 was primed for a year like this."
Seals also said the 6-0 start has been aided by a friendly opening half schedule which gets a lot tougher on the back end with games against Utah and Kansas State.
Iowa State is the only school in the country with top 10 rankings in football and men's and women's basketball.
Jack Trice Stadium is the second-largest venue in the Big 12, holding approximately 61,500 fans.
"Well, as with anything in the Big 12, I think prime time, you're going to see amazing environments anywhere you go," Seals said. "But Iowa State, it's going to be another tremendous one I think from talking to some Iowa State folks earlier today, they anticipated being a sellout this weekend. So it's going to be a raucous crowd."
Ames is located about 45 minutes from Des Moines, which is the state capital of Iowa. And Iowans love their two major college teams - Iowa and Iowa State. There's no professional competition. Seals thinks state fandom is closer to 50/50 these days.
For fans making the trip, Seals recommends a pair of barbecue restaurants, Hickory Park and Cornbred. For a sports bar venue, Wallaby's Bar and Grille is a good choice. Sweet Caroline's Kitchen & Cocktails is great for homestyle fare.
As for the team, Iowa State's offense is led by redshirt sophomore quarterback Rocco Becht who is originally from the Tampa area. His father is former NFL tight end Anthony Becht. This is his second season as starter. Becht is top 25 in QBR, averaging around 240 passing yards per game.
"I think here in year two, he's taken his game to another level," Seals said. "That first full off season where he knew he was going to be the guy and he has great players around him like Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel, those top two receivers, and really just a great foundation."
Rushing wise, Iowa State ranks No. 4 in Big 12 conference games, averaging 211.3 yards per game. It's been mostly running back by committee with Carson Hansen, Jaylon Jackson and Abu Sama III.
Wide receiver Jayden Higgins was All-Big 12 honorable mention last season as well as the Offensive Newcomer of the Year. He has 39 receptions for 505 yards and five touchdowns.
Higgins, like Becht, is also from Florida. Higgins is from Miami. Iowa State regularly recruits the Sunshine State.
Unlike UCF, Iowa State hasn't seen a rash of opt-outs.
"You always wonder when they hit that game four or game five, how that's going to go, but they came out of that pretty good," Seals said. "It's a culture thing with what they've developed up there. Everybody's bought in. Obviously, with the 6-0 start too, I think it makes it certainly much easier for guys to buy in."
Defensively, Iowa State runs a 3-3-5. The Cyclones are a big takeaway team with 10 total interceptions, ranking No. 5 nationally.
Their top linemen are JR Singleton and Domonique Orange. Safety Jeremiah Cooper was first team All-Big 12 last season. Seals thinks the safety group could be among the best in the country. Cornerback Jontez Williams, another Florida native, leads the team with three interceptions.
Iowa State's three linebacker starters had injury issues last week at West Virginia, forcing walk-ons and freshmen to see action though it didn't seem to be a detriment to the defense overall.
"It's the system really," Seals said. "It's plug and play. Those guys go in there and they do their jobs. I think that the coaches believe they're going to be successful."
For Iowa State to keep their undefeated record intact, Seals says they need to establish their running game, which is their bread and butter, and get off to a good start. You could say the same for UCF.
"I think it's going to come down to the trenches though," Seals said. "Also, this is a team that has been one of the top 20 teams in the country in turnover margin as well. And then when you factor in turnover scoring margin, they were No. 3 in the country and plus-14 in that win against West Virginia. They've done a good job turning turnovers into points on the offensive end."
Kickoff from Ames is set for 7:30 p.m. EST with TV coverage on FS1.
